The National Cancer Institute, part of the US Department of Health, now advises that ‘cannabinoids may be useful in treating the side effects of cancer and cancer treatment’ by smoking, eating it in baked products, drinking herbal teas or even spraying it under the tongue.

The information page also explains how cancer cells in mice were killed when exposed to cannabis.

Several scientific studies have suggested this in the past, and in April this year the US government’s National Institute on Drug Abuse revised their publications to suggest cannabis could shrink brain tumours by killing off cancer cells.

There are now two FDA approved medications for cancer patients available in the US which contain cannabinoids.

In the UK THC is in prescribed drug Sativex but is not yet considered useful on a wider basis for medical purposes.